Attachable cross or joint bond welding terminal



Dec. 13, 1932. K fi 9,@13

ATTACHABLE CROSS OR JOINT BOND WELDING TERMINAL Original Filed Jan. 18, 1.927

Patented Dec. 13, 1932 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD C. KIRK, OF ST. ALBAN S, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY,

NEW JERSEY OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF ATTAGHABLE CROSS 0R JOINT BOND WELDING TERMINAL Application filed January 18,1927, Serial No. 161,843. Renewed June 26, 1931.

The invention relates to rail bonds for bonding the rails of railroads, used as conductors of electricity and the like; and more particularly to an attachable terminal for :1; the conductors, applicable to both cross bonds or joint bonds. p

The objects of the improvement are to provide a terminal formed from a'plate of heavy sheet of metal, adapted to be attached to the J usual flexible conductor cable or wire; to so shape the terminal that it maybe clamped upon the base flange of the rail, and provide a welding pool whereby the copper conductor, terminal and rail are fused into a solid 3 mass, having a carrying capacity equal to that of the conductor; to provide for the conductor to be hidden beneath the terminal and rail in order to prevent the traction movement of car wheels and the like from J cutting the conductor; to provide an attachable bond terminal which permits the consumer to use up scrap copper for conductors, or to buy his conductors separately and attach the terminals thereto, thus providing for a considerable saving; and to so construct the terminal that it is equally adaptable to cross bonds or joint bonds.

The above and other objects may be attained by constructing the terminal the manner shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved terminal showing the same attached to the base flange of a rail and holding one end of a conductor;

Fig. 2, a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3, a front elevation of the improved terminal showing one endportion of the conductor clamp-ed therein;

Fig. 4, a perspective view of the terminal in the initial position, before the conductor is clamped therein; and

Fig. 5, a plan view of the blank from which the terminal is formed.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The conductor 1 may be of any usual and well known construction, being formed of copper wires, strips or the like twisted or d woven together.

In ordinary practice, conductors of this general character are usually provided at their ends with terminals which may be welded to adjacent rail ends at a rail joint to form a joint bond, or to parallel rails to form a cross bond.

The improved terminal, to which the application pertains, is adapted to be attachably' connected to each end of such a com I du'ctor, and the terminals at the opposite ends of the conductor may be attached to the base fiangesofrailsto provide either a joint bond or cross bond as desired, the construction of the terminals being such that the c'ond'uctors are located below the terminals and the rails which they bond together.

The improved terminal is formed from heavy gauge sheets orplates of steel, being preferably about" an eighth inch in thickness, and may be formed from a blank, such as indicated generally at 2 in Fig. 5, comprising thecentral body portion 3 having a V-not'ch 4 in its upper end and provided with substantially similar wings 5 at its sides, connected to the body portion, sub- P stantially at their middle portions by the reduced necks 6.

The lower end of the body portion is provided at opposite sides with the integral, op-

forward, substantially in a horizontal plane,

as shown at 10, forming, with the upper portions of the wings, a pair 01" V-shaped clamps adapted to fit snugly upon the base flange 11 of an ordinary rail 12.

In attaching the terminal to a copper con d'uctor, the extreme end portion of the conductor is slightly flattened and bent substantially at a right angle, as shown at 13, and the end portion of the conductor is inserted into the terminal.

The triangular tongues 7 are bent down upon the conductor, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, holding the end of the conductor firmly in place within the terminal. 7

The terminal is then wedged upon the base flange of the rail as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and welded to the rail by any suitable method of welding, the space indicated at 14-, between the upper ears 9 of the wings, forming a welding pool to receive the molten metal, shown at 15, the metal fusing the conductor, terminal and base flange of the rail all together.

By locating the terminal in the position shown in the drawing, with reference to the rail, and by forming the terminal in the manner shown, only the very upper portion of the terminal extends above the top of the base flange of the rail and the conductor is located entirely beneath the rail and the terminal, thus preventing the traction movement of car wheels and the like from cutting the same. I

From the above it will be seen that the improved terminal is easily and readily attachable to any suitable form of conductor and may be quickly and readily applied to the rail and welded thereto, fusing the several parts together into a solid mass having a carrying capacity equal to that of the conductor.

I claim:

1. An attachable welding terminal for rail bonds comprising a body adapted to receive the end portion of a conductor, spaced pairs of cars associated with the body and adapted J bonds comprising a body adapted to receive the end portion of a conductor, spaced pairs of cars associated with the body and adapted to be clamped upon the base flange of a rail, the space between two ears, one of each pair, forming a welding pool and the end of the conductor being arranged to extend into said space, and a pair of tongues upon the body arranged to be clamped around the conductor.

3. An attachable welding terminal for rail bonds comprising a body adapted to receive the end portion of a conductor, spaced pairs of ears associated with the body and adapted to be clamped upon the base flange of a rail, the space between two ears, one of each pair, forming a welding pool and the end of the conductor being arranged to extend into said space, the body extending downward from the ears substantially at a right angle thereto.

4. An attachable welding terminal for rail in a curved body portion arranged to recelve the end portion of a conductor, tongues upon the body portion arranged to be clamped around the conductor, spaced pairs of ears upon the body arranged to be clamped upon the base flange of a rail, the space between the pairs of ears forming a welding pool and the end of the conductor terminating in said space.

5. An attachable welding terminal for rail bonds formed from sheet metal and comprising a curved body portion arranged to receive the end portion of a conductor, tongues upon the body portion arranged to be clamped around the conductor, spaced pairs of ears upon the body arranged to be clamped upon the base flange of a rail, the space between the pairs of ears forming a Welding pool and the end of the conductor terminating in said space, the body portion being directed downward from the ears at substantially a right angle thereto.

6. An attachable welding terminal formed from a sheet metal blank comprising a substantially rectangular body portion having a central V-notch in its upper edge, a wing attached at its center to each side of the upper end portion of the body and a tongue formed at each side of the lower end portion of the body.

7. The combination with a railway rail having a base flange, of a conductor in direct contact with the edge of said flange and disposed transversely thereof with the end of the conductor positioned adjacent the upper surface of the rail flange, and a terminal member having means thereon for gripping the conductor. and means for gripping the rail flange, said terminal member forming with the upper surface of the rail flange a pool for receiving welding metal and holding said metal in contact with the end of the conguctor and the upper surface of the rail ange.

8. The combination with a railwav rail having a lower base flange. of a conductor extending transverselv of the base flange in direct contact with the edge thereof. and a terminal member having a sleeve for gripping said conductor below said base flange and having spaced airs of ears gripping the edge of said base flange at opposite sides of said conductor. the upner ears forming with the upper surface of the base flange a pool for receiving welding metal and retaining said welding metal in contact with the end of the conductor, the upper surface of the base flange, and the adjacent faces of said upper ears.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed mv name.

EDWARD C. KIRK.

bonds formed from sheet metal and compris- 

